About me



  • Plant Ecophysiologist
    • climate change
    • physiology
    • evolution


  • Ecosystem Ecologist
    • global change


  • Shepherd Research:
    • aquaponics
    • urban tree ecology
    • ?????

About me



  • Plant Ecophysiologist
    • climate change
    • physiology
    • evolution


  • Ecosystem Ecologist
    • global change


  • Shepherd Research:
    • aquaponics
    • urban tree ecology
    • ?????

This semester we will practice being a modern ecologist

This semester we will ….

  • Immerse ourselves in weekly ecological themes
    • lecture
    • journal club
    • quantitative reasoning


  • Go outside!!!


  • Run ecological experiments


  • SOLVE a major ecological issue!


  • Practice communicating science
    • Find your voice!

What is ecology (textbook definition)?

Ecology has a few big themes



  • Relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings
    • living and non-living components


  • (1) Distribution and abundance of organisms


  • (2) Interactions among organisms


  • (3) Transformation and flux of energy and matter

Are humans a part of ecology?

Ecology concepts span many scales, including time

Ecologist try to explain, understand and predict




What is the central need for ecology?

Class Warning: We will be moving up Bloom’s ladder

For Journal Club this week….


  • Read “100 articles every ecologist should read”
    • article and cheat sheet on Brightspace


  • Take specific notes
    • What ecological themes are common?
    • Do you feel any themes are missing?
    • Is there a take home message?
    • Is there anything you don’t understand?
    • Complete and submit your 3-2-1 on Brightspace


  • Pay attention to little details
    • Are there any patterns you see?
    • Do you detect any issues?

Journal Club warning…

  • If there is one thing that I know in life it is plants !


  • If there are two things that I know, the second is if you have read the paper.
    • It is obvious to me when you are not prepared for the readings.
    • I can easily distinguish between misunderstanding and poor preparation!
    • I expect you to have a copy of the paper and notes in class


  • I take this very seriously and you will NOT do well in this class if you do not participate
    • come to class prepared to speak!

Keep the ‘Pot of Doom’ locked away





  • At the start of Journal Club one name will be drawn



  • Student will be responsible for 2 things:
    • 1 minute brief on what the paper addresses (theme, species, issue, etc.)
    • Definition or explanation of a science word or concept from the paper you did not know (so you had to look it up)